Angie Craig

Angie Craig
Born	Angela Dawn Craig 14 2, 1972
Birthplace	West Helena, Arkansas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, former journalist, former businesswoman
Known for	First openly LGBT+ member of Congress from Minnesota; first lesbian mother to serve in Congress
Education	University of Memphis (BA)
Children	4
Awards	Ranking Member, House Agriculture Committee
Website	[craig.house.gov Official site]

Angela Dawn Craig (born February 14, 1972) is an American politician, former journalist, and former businesswoman serving as the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 2nd congressional district since 2019. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Craig represents a district that encompasses most of the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities and outlying rural areas to the southwest. Before entering politics, Craig built a career in journalism and corporate communications, eventually rising to a senior executive role at St. Jude Medical in Minnesota. She first ran for Congress in 2016, narrowly losing to Republican Jason Lewis, before defeating him in a 2018 rematch. Craig made history as the first openly LGBT member of Congress from Minnesota and the first lesbian mother to serve in the United States Congress. In January 2025, she became the Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee. On April 29, 2025, Craig announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in the 2026 election to succeed Senator Tina Smith.

Early Life

Angela Dawn Craig was born on February 14, 1972, in West Helena, Arkansas, a small city in the Arkansas Delta region. She grew up in Arkansas, where her family faced financial challenges. Craig has spoken publicly about her upbringing in a working-class household, noting that her family's experiences shaped her views on economic opportunity and access to health care.

Craig has described her childhood as one marked by the realities of growing up in a rural Southern community with limited economic prospects. Her early life in the Arkansas Delta exposed her to issues of poverty, educational inequality, and the importance of community institutions—themes she would later reference in her political campaigns.

Craig's formative years in Arkansas laid the groundwork for what would become a career spanning journalism, the corporate sector, and eventually politics. She left Arkansas to pursue higher education and professional opportunities, a path that would eventually lead her to Minnesota.

Education

Craig attended the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her time at the University of Memphis provided her with the academic foundation for her initial career in journalism. The university, one of the largest institutions of higher education in Tennessee, served as a launching point for Craig's professional trajectory from the mid-South to the national stage.

Career

Journalism and Corporate Communications

After graduating from the University of Memphis, Craig began her professional career in journalism. She worked as a reporter and in media-related roles before transitioning into corporate communications. Her journalism background provided skills in writing, public communication, and storytelling that would later prove useful in both the corporate world and in political campaigns.

Craig eventually moved into the corporate sector, working in communications and executive roles in the health care and medical device industries. In 2005, she relocated to Minnesota to take a position at St. Jude Medical, a global medical device company headquartered in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. At St. Jude Medical, Craig rose through the ranks to become a senior executive, serving in roles related to corporate communications, human resources, and government affairs.

Her tenure at St. Jude Medical gave Craig extensive experience in the medical device industry, a major employer in Minnesota. She gained familiarity with health care policy, regulatory issues, and the intersection of business and public policy—areas that would inform her later political platform. Craig settled in Eagan, Minnesota, within the boundaries of Minnesota's 2nd congressional district, and became active in community affairs.

2016 Congressional Campaign

In April 2015, Craig announced her candidacy for Minnesota's 2nd congressional district, initially seeking to challenge the longtime Republican incumbent John Kline. When Kline announced his retirement, the open-seat race attracted significant attention as one of the most competitive congressional contests in the country.

Craig ran on a platform that emphasized her business background, health care expertise, and commitment to bipartisan problem-solving. She highlighted issues such as access to affordable health care, economic development, and her experience in the private sector as qualifications for the position.

The 2016 general election was a closely contested three-way race. Craig faced Republican Jason Lewis, a conservative talk radio host, and an independent candidate. The presence of a third-party candidate complicated the dynamics of the race. Lewis ultimately won the election by a narrow margin, benefiting in part from the split in the non-Republican vote and from national trends favoring Republicans in the 2016 cycle.

Despite the loss, Craig's strong performance in a traditionally Republican-leaning district demonstrated the competitiveness of her candidacy and set the stage for a rematch.

2018 Congressional Campaign and Election

Craig launched a rematch campaign against Jason Lewis for the 2018 midterm elections. In the rematch, she sought to build a stronger connection with voters across the district, which included suburban communities south of the Twin Cities as well as more rural areas to the southwest.

The 2018 race was a one-on-one contest between Craig and Lewis, without the third-party candidate who had complicated the 2016 election. Craig again emphasized her background in business and health care, while also focusing on issues such as protecting coverage for pre-existing conditions under the Affordable Care Act, lowering prescription drug costs, and supporting working families.

The national political environment in 2018 favored Democrats, with a wave of suburban voters moving away from the Republican Party in the wake of the Trump administration's first two years. Craig won the election, defeating Lewis and flipping the district from Republican to Democratic control.

Craig's victory was part of a broader wave of Democratic gains in suburban districts across the United States during the 2018 midterms. Her win was also historically significant: she became the first openly LGBT person elected to Congress from Minnesota, and the first lesbian mother to serve in the United States Congress.

Congressional Tenure

Craig took office on January 3, 2019, representing Minnesota's 2nd congressional district. She was re-elected in subsequent cycles, establishing herself as a competitive incumbent in a swing district that remained one of the most closely watched seats in the country.

In Congress, Craig has focused on health care, agriculture, and economic issues relevant to her district. Her work on health care has included advocacy for lowering prescription drug prices, particularly the cost of insulin. Craig has spoken on the House floor in support of price caps on insulin, drawing on her background in the medical device industry and the experiences of constituents in her district.

Craig joined the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus upon taking office, consistent with her status as the first openly LGBT member of Congress from Minnesota.

Agriculture has been a significant focus of Craig's legislative work, given that her district includes substantial rural and agricultural areas in addition to suburban communities. Her engagement with agricultural policy grew throughout her tenure and ultimately led to her selection for a leadership role on the House Agriculture Committee.

Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee

In January 2025, Craig became the Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee, succeeding David Scott in that role. As the top Democrat on the committee, Craig has been responsible for shaping the party's position on agricultural policy, nutrition programs, rural development, and related issues.

In February 2026, Craig released a statement criticizing the Republican farm bill proposal, saying it "fails to meet the moment" for American farmers and rural communities. She also commented on trade and tariff issues affecting the agricultural sector, applauding a Supreme Court decision to block certain tariffs that she argued would harm farmers.

Immigration and ICE Oversight

Craig has been active on immigration-related issues, particularly regarding the operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota. In February 2026, Craig and fellow Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar publicly disclosed that federal officials had informed them that fewer than 500 ICE agents were operating in Minnesota following the conclusion of a federal enforcement operation known as Operation Metro Surge.

In February 2026, Craig announced that she would bring Angel Silva, the son of a detained immigrant mother from Rosemount, Minnesota, as her guest to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address. The gesture was intended to highlight the impact of immigration enforcement policies on Minnesota families. Craig participated in a press conference with other Minnesota House Democrats, including Representatives Betty McCollum and Ilhan Omar, ahead of the address.

2026 U.S. Senate Campaign

On April 29, 2025, Craig announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in the 2026 election, seeking to succeed retiring Democratic Senator Tina Smith. The announcement positioned Craig as a candidate in what is expected to be one of the more closely watched Senate races of the 2026 cycle.

Personal Life

Craig resides in Eagan, Minnesota, within the boundaries of the 2nd congressional district she represents. She has four children. Craig is openly LGBT and has spoken about her identity as a lesbian mother in the context of her campaigns and her role in Congress. Her election to Congress in 2018 made her the first openly LGBT member of Congress from Minnesota and the first lesbian mother to serve in the institution.

Craig moved to Minnesota in 2005 when she took a position at St. Jude Medical, and she has lived in the state since that time. Her personal background—growing up in a working-class family in rural Arkansas before pursuing a career in corporate America and eventually entering politics—has been a recurring theme in her public narrative and campaign messaging.

Recognition

Craig's election in 2018 received national attention as a milestone for LGBT representation in the United States Congress. Her victory was highlighted by multiple national media outlets as part of a record-breaking year for LGBT candidates across the country. InStyle magazine profiled Craig as the first lesbian mother elected to Congress, noting the significance of her election for representation and visibility.

As Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee, Craig holds one of the most prominent positions available to a Democratic member of the House, reflecting her seniority and her focus on agricultural and rural policy issues.

Her campaigns in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district have drawn attention from national political analysts as a bellwether for the competitiveness of suburban swing districts. Inside Elections and other nonpartisan political forecasters have tracked her races as among the most competitive House contests in multiple election cycles.

Legacy

Craig's significance in American political history is rooted in her status as a barrier-breaking candidate. As the first openly LGBT person elected to Congress from Minnesota and the first lesbian mother to serve in the U.S. Congress, her elections represent milestones in the broader movement toward LGBT representation in American government.

Her career trajectory—from a working-class upbringing in rural Arkansas through journalism, the corporate sector, and into elected office—reflects broader patterns in American politics of candidates entering public service after careers in the private sector. Craig's background in the medical device industry, a major sector in Minnesota's economy, informed her policy positions on health care and economic issues and positioned her as a candidate who could speak to both suburban and rural constituencies.

Craig's tenure in Congress has coincided with a period of intense political competition in suburban districts, and her ability to win and hold a swing seat through multiple election cycles has made her a figure of interest in discussions about the future of competitive House districts. Her decision to seek a U.S. Senate seat in 2026 represents an expansion of her political ambitions beyond the House of Representatives.

Her work on the House Agriculture Committee, culminating in her role as Ranking Member, has positioned Craig as one of the leading Democratic voices on farm policy, nutrition programs, and rural economic development at the federal level.